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216 216 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. disposition of the Stone Indians rendered it unsafe. I therefore descended to Cumberland House, where I found Dr. Richardson, who kindly showed me portions of the noble collection in Natural History made during the expe- dition. This part of the country has been so well de- scribed in the former narrative of Capt. (now Sir John) Franklin, that little is left for me to say respecting it, and I shall merely notice my stages. After leaving Cumber- land House, two days took us to the Grand Rapid, the en- trance of Lake Winipeg, where we were detained by the ice. A few hours after it became rotten, sank and disap- peared, leaving an open sheet of water through which we sailed to Norway House. The shores of this lake are clothed with diminutive trees, Pinus alba, nigra, micro- carpa, Populus trepida, Betula papyracea and nigra, and sphagnous swamps of Lednm, Kalmise, and Andromeda, together with a strong herbage of various species of Carex, near the springs or pools. On the 16th we arrived at Norway House, where I found letters from England. The following day Mr. Simpson, the Resident Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, came, and I received great kind- ness from him ; and after I had spent several days at Norway House, Capt. Sir J. Franklin made his appear- ance and most politely offered me a passage in his canoe through the lake as far as the mouth of Winipeg River, on my way to Red River, which I gladly accepted. At this period, such an opportunity of saving time was most valuable, as I thus gained twelve days on the usual time required for performing the trip. Captain Franklin left me for England on the 9th of July, and on the following day I proceeded to the settlement on the Red River, which I reached on the 12th. I took up my abode with D. Mc- Kenzie, Esq., Governor of the Colony, a most kind and excellent man, who during my whole stay showed me great hospitality, and afforded me much valuable assist-